Small first aid kits are widely kept in homes, automobiles, backpacks and other similar locations. Most of these portable first aid kits have containers which are box-like structures constructed of a light metal or sturdy plastic. The box typically requires a hinge to join a cover to a box base, a latch to secure the unhinged side of the cover and a handle attached to either the cover or the box base for carrying the kit. Each of these items adds to the cost of constructing the container.
The handles of such containers usually require a hinge and pin so the handle will fold flat on the container for storage purposes and swing away from the container for carrying purposes. An additional hinge and pin structure usually joins the cover and the box base. This hinge and pin combination could be eliminated by the use of flexible strips between the cover and base. However, these strips wear easily with little use and greatly reduce the useful life of the container. Similarly, the latch which holds the container closed usually requires one member mounted to the box base and a mating latch member mounted to the cover. This latching mechanism increases the complexity of the container manufacture.
Such box-like kit containers are often awkward or inconvenient to store with other articles. Usually the cover and the base have angular edges which are hardly deformable or conformable when the kit is stored with other objects, as when it is carried in a knapsack or stored in the trunk of an automobile. In the irregular confines of such storage areas, these box-like kits do not permit efficient utilization of the storage area. Accordingly, containers suitable for use with first aid kits and the like which do not utilize a rectangular or box-like shape and which can be produced at lower cost are needed.
In first aid kits which include drinkable liquids or pills which require liquid for ingestion, a drinking cup is an especially useful kit component. A collapsible version of a cup is available which could be included in the container. However, while collapsible cups use less space than non-collapsible cups, they do occupy space in the container which could be used for additional contents. Inclusion of such a cup with a kit container, without using internal container storage space would be a real benefit.